3.1.5 Effects of plateau pika disturbance on the soil total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium stocks
The soil total nitrogen and total phosphorus stocks were significantly affected by site and disturbance, whereas they were not affected by the interactions between site and disturbance. The soil total potassium stock was found to be affected only by the site (Table 1).
Accounting for an overall scale effect, the soil total nitrogen and the total phosphorus stocks in the disturbed plot were higher than those in the undisturbed plot (Figure. 5A; Figure. 5C), whereas the soil total potassium stock was not different between the disturbed and undisturbed plots (Figure. 5E). Accounting for a site-scale effect, plateau pika disturbance increased the soil total nitrogen stock at Gangcha, Haiyan and Qilian (Figure. 5B) and the soil total phosphorus stock at Luqu and Gonghe (Figure. 5D), whereas it had no impact on the soil total nitrogen stock at Luqu and Gonghe or the soil total phosphorus stock at Gangcha, Haiyan and Qilian; plateau pika disturbance had a similar effect on the soil total potassium stock at each site (Figure. 5F).